Tone volume range control device for reed instruments



L. E. GAMBLE March 7, 1950 TONE-VOLUME RANGE CONTROL DEVICE FOR REED INSTRUMENTS Filed Jan. 14, 1946 INVENTOR. Z0u/3Zf Qay/e/ BY @a/zMeZ x5 I nrrrig Patented Mar. 7, 1950 TONE VOLUME RANGE CONTROL DEVICE FOR REED INSTRUMENTS Louis E. Gamble, Detroit, Mich.

Application January 14, 1946, Serial No. 641,065

1 Claim.

This invention relates to musical instruments, and in particular to reed instruments.

One object of this invention is to provide means for precisely positioning the lips relatively to the mouthpiece of a reed instrument.

Another object is to provide means for adjustably exerting pressure upon the reed of a reed instrument at varying distances from the end thereof.

Another object is to provide adjustable means for exerting pressure upon the reed of a reed instrument relatively to the mouthpiece thereof at varying distances from the end of the reed and also for precisely positioning the lips relatively to the end of said mouthpiece.

Another object is to provide an attachment for the mouthpiece of a reed instrument, such as a clarinet or saxophone, which will mute the reed to vary the tone volume range by urging it against the mouthpiece at a desired distance from the end of the reed or from its position of support upon the mouthpiece.

Another object is to provide an attachment for the mouthpiece of a reed instrument for exerting pressure upon the reed at a desired location such as will eliminate the sounding of undesired overtones or harmonics of the reed and limit its vibration to the frequency corresponding to the desired tone or range of tones.

Another object is to provide an attachment for the mouthpiece of a reed instrument as set forth in the preceding objects wherein the attachment also serves to limit the distance which the mouthpiece may be inserted between the musicians lips.

Another object is to provide an attachment for a reed instrument as set forth in the preceding objects wherein the pressure as well as the location of the pressure exerting means upon the reed is adjustable.

Another object is to provide an attachment for a reed instrument as set forth in the preceding objects, wherein the attachment also serves to secure the reed to the mouthpiece.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of an attachment for a reed instrument according to the present inven tion, as mounted on the mouthpiece of a reed instrument, with the view partly broken away to indicate the internal structure thereof more clearly;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the attachment shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section along the line 3'-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section along the line 4-4 in Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a portion of a reed instrument equipped with the attachment of this invention, illustrating its manner of use.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures 1 and 5 show a preferred embodiment of the invention consisting of the attachment, generally designated ill as mounted upon the mouthpiece I I of a reed instrument It. The latter may be of any type, such as a clarinet or saxophone, and is indicated diagrammatically in Figure 5. The mouthpiece l! thereof is of a conventional type and consists of a tubular body 13 having a bore [4 for receiving the portion 15 of the reed instrument the body 53 containing the bore 54 having an approximately conical portion is and a conn cting portion ll tapered toward the portion 25. The drawings show the mouthpiece in the so-called French playing position employed by many musicians in continental European countries. The invention, however, is obviously equally applicable to a playing position which is inverted from that shown in the drawing, and which is commonly employed by musicians in England and the United States of America. The opposite or forward end of the mouthpiece H is provided with an upwardly directed portion 18 having a lip engaging under surface [9 (Figure 4), the bore is being angled upwardly in a bore extension 2i! toward the arcuate end 2| of the mouthpiece l l. The upper surface of the body I3 is provided with a flattened portion 22 serving as a seat for a reed 23 of a conventional pattern, the latter being of elongated outline and tapering to a thin arcuate edge 2:1 adjacent the end 2| of the mouthpiece l i. The flattened portion 22 is angled downwardly relatively to the axis of the bore l4 and. terminates at the edge 25 of an elongated aperture 26. The upper side margins 27 of the aperture 25 in the mouthpiece ii are slightly arcuate in side elevation so as to provide an opproximately wedge-shaped gap 28 between them and the reed 23.

The attachment H] is mounted on the mouthpiece H immediately over the flattened portion 22 and consists of a holder 29 having a lip stop plate or contact member 36 adjustably mounted therein. The holder 29 consists of a pair of arcuate arms 3! and 32 (Figure 3) encircling the conical portion [6 and having lugs 33 and 34 beneath it. The lug 34 is provided with a screw-threaded bore 35 and the lug 33 with a smooth bore 35 aligned therewith for receiving a thumb screw 3'! having a wing portion 38 thereon. As a consequence of this construction, when the thumb screw 38 is turned in one direction, the arms 3% and 32 are tightened around the mouthpiece II and, when turned in the other direction, the arms are loosened.

The holder 28 is provided with a bridge portion 39 interconnecting the arcuate arms 3| and 32 and having a surface of arcuate cross-section 40 conforming to and mating with the upper surface 4! of the reed 23. The holder 29 is provided above the bridge portion 39 with an upstanding portion 42 containing a longitudinal bore 43 having a ledge 44' at the rearward end thereof, above which is an aperture 45 for the passage of the stem 46 of the contact member 3!]. The stem 46 is threaded at its forward end-as'at M for receiving the correspondingly threaded bore 48 in the hub 49 of a pressure plate 58. The latter is approximately trapezoidal in outline-and has an arcuately curved lower edge l corresponding to and mating with the curvature of the upper edge 4| of the reed 23.

The upstanding portion 42 of the holder 29 is provided at its'topwith a'boss 52"having athreaded bore:53=forreceiving the threaded'shank 54 of. a thumbscrew 55. The lower end of the thumb screw-55 engages the upper surfaces of the stem at; the rearward end of which rests upon the'ledge 44' as a fulcrum. When the thumb screw 55 is-screwed downwardly into the bore 53, the lower edge 5! of the pressure plate 50 ispressed downwardly'against the upper edge 6E ofthe' reed 23; urging'the latter toward the upper side margins Z'I' andtending to close the wedgeshaped gap 28. In this manner, the reed 23 may be muted at a wide range of positions from adjacent the edge 250i the aperture 25 to a point approaching the end M-of the reed 23. By uhscrewing the thumb screw 55 slightly, the contact member 88 may be pushed toward or away from the holder 29 so as to vary the location at which the contact edge 5! engages the upper surface ll of the reed 23.

In the operation of the invention, the holder 29 is mountedon theconical portion id" of the mouthpiece I i in the manner previously described, namely by loosening the thumb screw 37 and slipping the arms 35 and 32 over the conical portion l6 until the surface it of'the bridge portion tfi engages the rearward end of the upper surface 4! of the reed 28at the desired location above the flattened portion 22, whereupon the thumb screw 8'! is tightened to clamp this assemblyin position; Before tightening the thumb screw 3?, however; the reed 23 is moved longitudinally until its end 24 is properly positioned relatively to the mouthpiece end 2i, whereupon the holder 2e is clamped in position by tightening the thumb screw 31.

The musician now loosens the thumb screw 55 and inserts the stem id of the contact member 35*through the bore t8 and aperture 55 until the rearward'end thereof rests upon the ledge M. He then inserts the mouthpiece it between hislips in the manner shown in Figure 5, and moves the contact member 39 back and forth, alternately tightening and looseningthe thumb screw 55between tests of the tone of the instrument'until he obtains the desired tonal qualities, whereupon he tightens the thumb screw 55 in the desired position of adjustment. The instrument is then ready. for playing in the usual manner, the pressure plate 5% serving not only as a contact member for the'reed 23' but also as a 'stop for limiting the insertion of the mouthpiece i 8 between the lips of the musician.

By this means, the musician is enabled not only to obtain the desired-tonal volume range characteristics of his instrument, butis also enabled to position his lip instantly at this position; Moreover, he is prevented from inserting the mouthpiece too far into his mouth, which action on the part of the inexperienced musician results in the making of harsh noises, often accompanied by high-pitched undesired tones. By moving the pressure plate 58 to and fro along the reed 23 and readjusting the thumb screw 55, he canmute the reed ll tovary the tone volume range and thus suit the playing conditions or the size of the auditorium or room so that the instrument is easily adapted to use for practising in small rooms accompanying a singer, or under other conditions where the tone volume must be kept at a minimum.

From the foregoing it is evident that the device of the present invention eliminates the he cessity, on the part of the musician, for biting or otherwise exerting heavy pressure upon the reedandHrnouthpiece as was previously necessary in ordertoprevent air from escaping at the sides of the reed between the lips and the mouthpiece or ligature. Instead, thepressure plate 56, when clamped down against the rec: by the thumb screw 55, forces the reed against the ligature and closes these air passages along opposite edges of the reed; Moreover, the wearing down of the teeth of the musician, which occurred with prior instruments as a result of this necessity'of biting tightly'upon the reed, is now completely prevented. The musician no longer has-to hunt for the proper position corresponding to the desired tone volume range since the pressure plate Sll'lo'cates it forhim auto matically, sothat he-merely is required to press his lips lightly upon the: reed and ligature and blow'while his-upper lip is in light contact with the pressurev plate 58;

While I have described 'and'shown my invention in' detail, it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claims, for many'changest may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What'I claim is:

A volume range control device for attachment to the'mouth'piece of a reed instrument comprising aholder encircling said mouthpiece and having a clamping device detachably securing said'holder to said mouthpiece, said holder having'arecess thereindis'posed at one side of said mouthpiece remote from the forward end of said mouthpiece,- a rod secured in said recess with its rearward portion fulcrumed' on said holder adjacent said recess, and a lip stop plate on the forward end of said rod disposed substantially perpendicular to the reed and having an arcuately concave 'contact'edge'engaging said reed over substantially its entire width, said stop plate having a height approximating the height of the players lip.

LOUIS E. GAMBLE.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 516,988 Ingram Mar. 20, 1894 972,823 Cook et al Oct. 18, 1910 1,446,623 Humes Feb. 27, 1923 1,553,081 Humes Sept. 8, 1925 2,180,383 Anderberg Nov. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,849 Great Britain Apr. 10, 1911 645,185 France June 26, 1928' 

